ARTISTS
Mayla
Owner + Artist
Howdy! I am a fine line tattoo artist from the South with a background in graphic design, fine arts, and leathersmithing :) I started Blu Bandit in 2021 as a private studio welcoming all clients looking for an intimate space to get inked, and we have since grown into a multiuse space with The Lafayette Barber--- hosting pop up events and guest artists!
​
My style is whatever your style is! While I primarily tattoo fine line illustrative pieces, I am always open to jumping around between traditional styles, microrealism, surrealism, abstract, neo-trad, and tribal.
​
I'm forever grateful to all of you who make my dream of being a full time artist possible. I hope you enjoy our little studio and welcome you to the Blu Bandit family.
Afnan
Apprentice + Shop Manager
“I’m restless. Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again.”
― Anaïs Nin
I'm Afnan, a mullti-lingual/cultural (Arabic & Japanese) first year tattoo artist. I began my tattoo journey in January 2024 and had the incredible opportunity to continue with an apprenticeship at Blu Bandit.
Over the years I dabbled in illustration, relief printmaking, oil painting, and more. Born and raised in Muscat Oman, my traditional roots initially forbade me from even considering a tattoo nonetheless a career in tattooing. Even though I am a creative at heart I inevitably went down a rigorous academic path followed by years of corporate hustle. Somehow the path I was on led me to tattooing, a space I finally feel at home. There are no regrets to how I got here and really nothing I would change.
I have met incredible people along the way, found myself in Colorado, and honed my research skills to really embrace my region's intricate history with tattooing and further validating the calling I feel toward it.
My style is manifesting into a whimsical, witchy, illustrative work, something I hope to develop and keep working at. Right now I am incredibly grateful for the folks I have been able to tattoo and the future ones I will!